Civil liberties group releases Know Your Rights guide for older people

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) yesterday launched a new Know Your Rights guide for older people.

Helen McEntee, the minister of state for mental health and older people, joined ICCL to launch the guide, which provides practical information on the rights of older people in Ireland.

It covers issues including retirement age, rights to health and community care, rights in relation to the State pension, and elder abuse.

It was written by Patricia Conboy, head of policy at NGO HelpAge International, with support from the ICCL.

The guide is the seventh in an ICCL series designed to inform people in clear and accessible language about their rights under various areas of the law in Ireland, and the first published since 2014.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Mark Kelly, ICCL executive director, said: “The Know Your Rights guide for older people is especially written for people who are too often characterised as recipients of care rather than recognised as individual rights holders.

“This new guide, which contains resources to empower older people to vindicate their rights, will help to redress the balance.”

More information is available from the Know Your Rights website.